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About CPIMA

Curtis W. FrankThe Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies (CPIMA) is an NSF sponsored partnership among Stanford University, IBM Almaden Research Center, the University of California Davis and the University of California Berkeley. CPIMA is dedicated to fundamental research on interfaces found in systems containing polymers and low molecular weight amphiphiles. Research within CPIMA is carried out in three Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs):

  • Synthesis and Application of Nanostructured Materials
  • Structure and Dynamics of Confined Systems
  • Functional Biomolecular Membranes

CPIMA considers new Seed Projects annually. Tangible outcomes of research in CPIMA impact chemical and biological sensors, nanostructures for microelectronics, lubrication and adhesion.

Curt with the student CPIMA People Student working

CPIMA Highlights [more highlights]

Patterning Organic Semiconductor Single Crystal Field-Effect Transistors

Single-crystal organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are ideal device structures for studying fundamental science associated with charge transport in organic materials and have demonstrated outstanding electrical characteristics. However, it remains a technical challenge to integrate single-crystal devices into practical electronic applications. A key difficulty is that organic single-crystal devices are usually fabricated one device at a time through manual selection and placing individual crystals. To overcome this difficulty, Bao et al. successfully developed two high-throughput approaches to pattern organic single crystal arrays.

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Flow-Enhanced Single Molecule DNA Hybridization Studies

Objective: To develop novel microfluidic flow cells that allow trapping of single DNA molecules and studies of the binding of sequence-specific probes to the trapped DNA. Fig. 2
Approach: Two different devices have been designed and fabricated: a cross-slot that uses flow focusing to direct probes to the trapped DNA and a microfluidic "four roll mill" that allows the flow type to be varied from extension to shear to rotation near the trapped DNA (fig. 2).

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